Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The LaGrange baseball team escaped with a sweep of Trinity Christian at Granger Park on Friday. It was anything but easy for the Grangers, who had to use a late rally in both games to come out victorious.

After jumping out to an early lead, the Grangers had to use a walk-off to win game one 8-7. Tanner Langley was the hero with a sac fly to send Cole Garner home in the top of the seventh to give the home team an important region win. 

The Grangers jumped out to a quick lead, scoring four runs in the second and two in the third to take a 6-0 lead. Robbie Parker got the action started in the second with an RBI sacrifice fly. Rob Skinner got the home crowd on its feet when he hit a home run over the center field wall later in the inning. LaGrange scored its two runs in the third on a RBI single from Garner and a solo home run from Parker, who was a stellar 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. 

The Lions cut into the Granger lead with five runs in the top of the fifth inning but the Grangers were able to stay just out in front. Preston Pressley singled on a ground ball in the bottom of the fifth to give the Grangers a 7-5 lead. Trinity Christian tied the game in the top of the seventh before Langley delivered the goods to give LaGrange the win. 

Garner had a big game offensively, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while also providing quality defense behind the plate. Seth Stargell, Gryson Cockrell, Cooper Stephens, Langley, Pressley and Skinner all had a hit apiece. 

Trey Cook got the start on the mound and went six innings, striking out nine batters while allowing six hits. Parker got one inning of action on the mound in relief, striking out two and allowing two hits. 

The second game featured more drama with LaGrange having to rally after falling into an early hole. The Grangers ended up prevailing 10-8 in another tightly contested affair. 

The Lions scored three runs in the top of the first and five more in the second with Cook scoring on an error for the Grangers in the bottom of the first to stay in the game, trailing 8-1 after 1.5 innings. Langley scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second to trim the deficit to six runs.

The Grangers kept chipping away and finally found a way back into the game. Garner hit an RBI double and Parker hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 8-4. The Grangers got right back to work in the bottom of the fourth and cut the Lions’ lead to just one run. Stargell and Cockrell hit back-to-back RBI singles followed by a Garner RBI groundout to make it a one-run game. 

Langley was the hero once again in game two, driving in the tying and winning run when he launched a home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth. The Grangers added another run in the bottom of the fifth when Cockrell hit a single to drive in the 10th run of the night for the home side. 

Langley was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Granger offense. Cockrell also had a big game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Stargell was a cool 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI.

Cook, Garner, and Parker all had a hit apiece. 

Trevor Booton got the start on the mound and pitched a complete game, striking out nine batters on seven hits allowed. 

LaGrange has now won eight in a row to improve to 16-7 overall and 9-1 in region play. The Grangers will travel to Smiths Station for a non-region game on Monday.